Resin Car Works honcho Frank Hodina steps in with a model build from the past.

I recently read Ted Cullota’s blog post on his PFE R-30-9 plywood-sheathed reefer. His model work stirred a memory back from the depths.

I dug around my model collection and found my memory was correct. I finished an HO scale, PFE plywood-sheathed R-30-9 class reefer in 1994 (I think).

I had made the patterns for all the Sunshine Models PFE rebuilt reefer resin kits. Martin Lofton was going to issue the plywood-sheathed R-30-9 class, but never did.

My model is different from Ted’s version. It has a built-up underframe and a pattern of plywood sheathing with fewer panels. I didn’t install the brake piping between the cylinder, AB valve and reservoir, as I was building about two dozen of the reefers at the time.

Now I need to find some prototype photos of the car.

National Scale Car Company had produced a mini-kit to upgrade an HO scale Red Caboose reefer model. It’s currently out of production but may return again.

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